Two Giants of March

While everyone loves a good March Madness underdog tale, there’s something to be said for watching two squads clearly in a class of their own face off for all the marbles. It would have taken a massive Final Four upset to prevent this duel of college basketball juggernauts, and both teams took care of business in dominant, albeit slightly unexciting, victories 💪

• So here we are, ready to watch these two giants in both statistical and physical stature battle for an NCAA title

While UConn is the defending champion and clear favorite, Purdue obviously presents a problem unlike any the Huskies have faced thus far. Zach Edey is quite comfortably the most dominant force in college basketball, a 7’4 wrecking ball with surprisingly soft touch around the rim. He confounds both opponents and referees, who famously struggle to officiate this behemoth of a player 👀

• Edey’s numbers in the Final Four matchup vs. NC State were pedestrian by his standards, but his two-way imprint was all over the game 🔥

This has been a week for the ages for the Toronto-born big man, who made some history by winning his second straight Player of the Year award 🏆

However, Edey has not had to match up with anyone of comparable size or force — of course, few humans matching that description exist. That changes tonight, when he tips off against Donovan Clingan. UConn’s star center boasts superior quickness and athleticism while nearly matching Edey’s gargantuan height at 7’2 👀

• It is this freakish versatility that has scouts ranking Clingan higher on draft boards than the comparably plodding Edey. Clingan had Alabama looking overmatched in the Final Four 💪

If Clingan can contain Edey to some extent, UConn’s superior overall talent should shine through. Dan Hurley’s squad boasts a tremendously balanced offensive attack — they had five players reach double digit scoring vs. Alabama. Hurley recently picked up some hardware of his own, becoming the first UConn head coach to win Coach of the Year 🏆

Of course, the only award that will truly satisfy Hurley and his team will be the NCAA title, a victory which would launch them into annals of history, etching UConn’s name among the true legends of March 🔥

NCAA Championship Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Spread: UConn -6.5

• Moneyline: UConn -275, Purdue +220

• Over/Under: 145.5

• When: 9:20PM EST on TBS

Trivia Question: Who was the last squad to win back-to-back National Championships?

For My Parlay Gurus

We all know that UConn should be the favorite here, but the 6.5 point spread seems a bit steep against a team that’s looked as dominant as Purdue. While Clingan projects better at the pro level than Edey, the Purdue giant is on a legendary March run which I don’t see ending without a bang. I like Edey to power the Boilermakers to their first ever NCAA title in an instant classic 🍿

• Purdue +6.5 vs UConn: -110

• OVER 145.5 Total Points: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $224 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win an Overtime hoodie*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: The Billy Donovan-led Florida Gators went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007

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